Warbird Information Exchange

A much more recent accident occurred to the Canadian Catalina C-FNJE, originally a RCAF Canso A. One of the Buffalo Airways water bombing fleet, it sank in a lake near Inuvik, North West Territories on July 24th, 2001. Although nowhere nearly as badly damaged as C-GFFJ mentioned above, it was in an equally remote site in the Arctic Circle! Engines and some components were recovered but the airframe was left on site, with considerable wing damage. There was talk of recovery but, more recently, it was announced that the aircraft had been acquired by the Alberta Aviation Museum and plans were being put together to recover the aircraft. However, these plans have suffered a set-back because of issues that have arisen with the local indigenous people who own the land on which the lake and aircraft are situated.